Been here 7 years and haven't filed

Hi, Folks, 

Like another recent poster, (to whom I wish to say thanks for giving me the courage to post)  we  have been here a while and have not filed.  Also as part of the same cluster***k we  haven't  declared in the UK my partner's social security pension income and I am afraid we may be in trouble with both UK and US taxes.

I am feeling terribly incompetent and I don't think I can face trying to sort it all out ourselves, so does anyone have some recommendations for accountants or solicitors who can handle this for us?  We live in Lincoln.   What sort of person or company should we be looking for?  We do not have property nor are high earners, it isn't like we need investment advice!

Please be kind and don't scold me, you would not believe how  I have been scolding myself. 

Thanks for any help you folks can give.

Kathleen

Hi Kathleen,

I accept your rules. No scolding.

‘High earners’ is always subjective. Oprah probably looks on Bill Gates as a ‘high earner’. HMRC considers any income as potential taxable income.

Starting with HMRC, a competent local accountant in Lincoln can handle this situation. There will be several factors they will need to consider as to any liability. HMRC needs to be the priority (by just a tiny bit). They are now your primary taxing authority. You must be in accord with them. Having said that, you shouldn’t delay looking at the IRS situation as well.

As for the IRS, much will depend on whether you were liable for tax during the 7 years. There are numerous threads identifying US tax advisors. You may have seen them, but if not, here’s the latest:

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=69534.0

If you’re looking for a face to face meeting, that will be unlikely unless you are willing to travel to London. There has been a US advisor (UKY member) post on here that is located in Manchester (‘tiekey’, possibly). Having never dealt with them, I cannot comment on whether they are good or otherwise. But closeness to Lincoln shouldn’t be the major factor.

Equally important, FBAR requirements must be investigated.

The youngsters on this site won’t understand how much a pain in the backside bureaucracy becomes when you’re older. But, nonetheless, it won’t go away and requires attention. You’ve made the first step. Don’t lose the momentum, and one step at a time. You won’t know if you owe anything until you, or someone, works it out. If absolute worse comes to worse, both systems can work out a payment method. As you’ve observed, you’re not the only person in this situation.

Thanks OAP,  I appreciate the gentle push in the right direction.

I felt pretty heroic getting us here legally and making all the other myriad adjustments required, but I have been keeping my head in the sand on this one.   I am ready to deal with it.  I think.